Clay Prince
by Thess
Summary: “Dracula was no one but who they wanted him to be.” A small piece about Alucard’s relationship with Integral Hellsing and Seras Victoria. One shot. Manga ficlet.


Disclaimer: Hellsing belongs to Kouta Hirano.

Author's notes: Edited by Puck 3/4, this is set during the Wizardry arc of volume 8, attempting to capture Alucard's feelings. Warning for (as we have nicknamed it in joke): _OSHHF _(One Small Happy Hellsing Family). This is for 30 romances too. This has no plot, it is introspective attempt to capture their relationships.

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**Clay Prince**

The banks of London amid of the mist were so familiar, his lips curled up in nostalgia. If the smoke of war stirred memories of five hundred years ago inside Alucard's mind, the Ghost Ship and the sea made him remember what happened over a century in the past.

Alucard closed his eyes and pushed the memories of _that_ woman away, they were not welcomed yet. The times when he had his own identity were gone, vanished, if he ever had one indeed. Now he did not return for not just another one but for two.

The Tower Bridge was destroyed, the bricks were half consumed by the shadows that made the Eagle sail. The vampire ignored the pig Maxwell's hysteric commands from his helicopter. He leaped on the ground and the enemy armies warily parted ways to allow him pass.

Alucard kept his gaze on Integral and Seras forward. His Master was smiling calmly and his Police Girl was nervously standing behind her and peering above the older woman's shoulder to look at him. His sight was blocked by the sudden entrances of the Nazi werewolf and the Catholic regenerator.

He paused and smirked at their interruption, glancing up to Integral, he asked for orders. Her fierce commands freed Alucard of all seals, beyond earthly power, the return to the raw source of what he was: The Son of the Devil. Dracula!

Hell's Gates opened and his captured souls walked on earth to fight for England, to fight for the humanity their Prince had lost. His body was destroyed by Judas Priest and the silent Captain but it was only a matter of time before he would pull himself together. Alucard could mould himself at his leisure, any shape and form, gender and age. He was the Prince, the Voivode, the Bird of Hermes, he would become God if he wished to.

He was lying to himself and quickly abandoned those thoughts. He was born royalty, to rule the souls in his personal hell, in his lost country between the Carpathian Mountains but he was made of clay, he was suited to others' vision.

Alucard recalled a lot of things except how to be himself. The No Life King who was not really a ruler but a servant. And as clay, he changed sizes and shape.

His body finally materialised from the shadow plasticine, Integral would approve his new aspect, it was exactly as she had imagined. He was a knight in shinning armour. His cape? was red like the cloak that swirled on the wind with his long, curly hair. Dracula grinned handsomely, not bothering to unsheathe his sword, his subordinates were occupying the invaders, building her a forest of the impaled.

So the vampire continued his path to their direction. Integral waited for him to arrive, Dracula would greet her before Seras because they had met first.

She was so different, when they met, Integral was not a maiden knight but a damsel in distress, cuddling near his corpse and refusing to let her uncle kill her. She did not want a corpse or be like her 'cruel' father, she had her own quiet pride and strength, she had yearned for a knight in shinning armour that day.

Integral's commands moulded the clay for him to turn into a knight again, the heroics he had forgotten without taking away his brutality. Dracula had a glimpse of the past when another woman had freed him from a jail and tamed him as companion to protect her lands.

Dracula stopped and took a long bow then knelt humbly as she wanted him to. He wondered briefly if Integral was aware what happened between the maidens and their knights. But he suspected she did, his Master had kept chastity for a decade.

"Welcome back, _Count_," Integral greeted with a thin smile.

Count. His eyes met hers. She was aware of the price for playing with the Clay Prince. He was no longer a knight and she was no longer his Liege.

"Good to be home_, Countess_," he replied, smiling back. Dracula was about to add further to his speech when his Police Girl interrupted him.

"Eh-uh, umm, mm. W-welcome h-home, M-master."

He gave her a hard gaze, surveying her aspect and that made her more nervous, she stuttered something about his beard but Dracula did not listen her words.

She was different from the teenager that he had killed and gave life again, her body was now covered with blood that was not hers. Like Integral, Seras had wanted help in her role, in her profession, she was unsure how to make it alone without guidance. Her mind was crying for someone to not disappoint during her first mission on Cheddar.

Police Girl called him Master but she was also the one who controlled the clay. He could not continue his lectures when she did not want to hear them anymore. He could not be cruel to his own subject.

Dracula rose and stretched his arm, she closed her eyes frightened and winced, anticipating a jolt. But he did not hit her, she did not want him to. Instead, the older vampire patted her head with affection like he used to do with two boys in the past. He had nearly forgotten their faces.

"Seras, Seras Victoria," Dracula greeted her with pride. Seras beamed and relaxed at his caress, brightly smiling back, her posture was straight and proud, a fine member of his bloodline.

Seras did not utter a reply but he could read her thoughts like an open book: '_Welcome back, father.'_

Dracula was no one but who they wanted him to be. Was he happier than he had been in a long time because they craved for his joy, too?


End file.
